Kosovo

Kosovo and Metohia (Serbian: ?????? ? ???????? / Kosovo i Metohija, Albanian: Kosovë / Kosova), in English most often called just Kosovo, is a province of Serbia. It is the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute between the Serbian government and the province's majority ethnic Albanian population. It is a part of Serbia, but since the Kosovo War it has been administered by the United Nations as a protectorate. Its Albanian population referred to the province as the Republic of Kosovo between 1990 and 1999 and declared it an independent state, though this was recognized abroad only by Albania. The province's final status has yet to be determined; talks on this issue are scheduled for later in 2006.

Geography

With an area of 10,887 km² and a population of almost 2 million on the eve of the 1999 crisis, Kosovo borders with Montenegro to the northwest, with the districts of Ra?ka, Toplica, Jablanica and P?inja in Central Serbia to the North and East, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the south, and Albania to the southwest. The largest cities are Pri?tina (Albanian: Prishtina), the capital, with estimated 500,000 inhabitants, and Prizren in the southwest with 120,000: five other towns have populations in excess of 50,000.

Related Topics:
10,887 - Km² - Montenegro - Ra?ka - Toplica - Jablanica - P?inja - Central Serbia - Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - Albania - Pri?tina - Prishtina - Prizren

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Geographical regions

Metohija, called Rrafshi i Dukagjinit ("Dukagjin plateau") by Albanians, is the large basin at the west of the province. The region includes the towns of Istok, Pe?, De?ani, ?akovica, Orahovac, and Prizren. The second largest region is Kosovo, a basin around the Sitnica river containing the cities of Uro?evac, Pri?tina, Vu?itrn, and Kosovska Mitrovica. Kosovo Polje (Kosovo Field) is just a small field which was the site of the Battle of Kosovo; when the communist government changed the name of the province to Kosovo in 1968, they also started pushing "Kosovo Polje" as the name of entire region. Part of Kosovo along the river Lab which contains the city of Podujevo is called Malo Kosovo (literally "Little Kosovo"). Just between the Metohia and Kosovo is the Drenica with the cities of Srbica and Klina and Mali?evo. Around the river Bina?ka Morava is Bina?ko Pomoravlje. At the southmost tip of the province, along the border with Macedonia lie the Gora, Sreda?ka ?upa and Sirini?ka ?upa.

Related Topics:
Metohija - Basin - Istok - Pe? - De?ani - ?akovica - Orahovac - Prizren - Sitnica - Uro?evac - Pri?tina - Vu?itrn - Kosovska Mitrovica - Kosovo Field - Battle of Kosovo - 1968 - Lab - Podujevo - Malo Kosovo - Drenica - Srbica - Klina - Mali?evo - Bina?ka Morava - Bina?ko Pomoravlje - Macedonia - Gora - Sreda?ka ?upa - Sirini?ka ?upa

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